ALIEXPRESS is an online shopping service based in China and owned by the Alibaba Group.
It allows small businesses and individuals to sell products to customers all over the world — but is AliExpress a legitimate retail service?
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What is AliExpress?
AliExpress is a discount online store and app, catering to customers from countries around the world.
It is owned by Chinese multinational the Alibaba Group — a massive company which focuses on computing and e-commerce, as well as being one of the largest internet providers in the world.
Although most of the retailers are from China, AliExpress targets international import buyers and does not sell to customers in mainland China.
Customers in China instead use Taobao — an Alibaba subsidiary — due to the convenience of service and delivery, especially the Alipay payment method.
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You will need to sign up and create a free account on the official AliExpress website before using the service — which can be done using your email address, or by logging in with your Google, Facebook or VK account.
Once you’ve set up your profile, you can browse for products using the search bar at the top of the site.
The shopping experience on AliExpress is similar to online stores such as Amazon and Target.
When was AliExpress created?
AliExpress was launched in 2010.
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It started off as a business-to-business buying and selling portal.
The company has since expanded to offer business-to-consumer and consumer-to-consumer, as well as payment services and cloud computing.
Is AliExpress a legitimate website?
Yes, AliExpress is a legitimate website.
AliExpress runs websites in a great many languages, including English, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Polish, Turkish, Portuguese, Russian and Indonesian.
The online shop also provides customers with full refunds on products that never turn up — and those arriving late or damaged.
Is the AliExpress app safe?
Yes, the AliExpress app is safe.
That said, buyers have given conflicting reports of their satisfaction with the products they have purchased.
In July 2022 TikTok user Brooke Montgomery, who posts under @princessbrookeyy, took the gamble to see what a floral-themed wedding dress costing a bargain £60 would look like.
The bride-to-be was left shocked after falling in love with the budget gown.
In a video that has racked up over 40,000 views, she wrote: “OMG IM IN LOVE.”
The dress has a skirt that falls to just above the knee, with puffed tulle sleeves, floral detailing and V-neckline.
Showing off the cheap dress, Brooke gushed: “This is the cutest dress ever.
“I am obsessed with this, there are pearls all over the skirt, all these flowers, and the pearls on the sleeves… to die for.
“I found it on AliExpress.
“10/10.”
However, in December 2023 a bride-to-be was left bewildered after purchasing a gown for her engagement party on AliExpress.
“Engagement Party dress fail. I should’ve never trusted AliExpress,” said Leaux (@itsleaux_).
All she could do was shake her head in disbelief over the debacle.
“I’m literally crying over my nails right now cause they’re so ugly. This is what I wanted OK, the pastels, and this is what I got,” a recording of a crying woman played in the background.
Leaux could certainly relate as she showed an image of the dress she thought she had purchased.
Instead of the fitted gown with flowing blue tulle that she had wanted, she got something very different.
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The disappointed shopper showed a picture of her in a pink frock — sans the flattering fabric on the bottom — or anything else that resembled what she had seen on the site.
After all, it was her engagement party and she was going to cry if she wanted to.
